DETROIT -- When his 6-year-old daughter, Ella, came downstairs crying Monday night, Kirk Maltby thought she had gotten into trouble.

Instead, she was upset that her daddy was retiring after 16 NHL seasons, the past 14 with the Detroit Red Wings.

"I tried to explain to her that it's going to be OK," Maltby said. "There's going to be lots of hockey."

Maltby's hockey will be limited to watching games as a pro scout for the Red Wings. After 908 games and four Stanley Cup championships in Detroit, Maltby announced his retirement Tuesday during an emotional news conference at Joe Louis Arena.

A tremendous role player valued for his speed, hitting, penalty killing and agitating ability, Maltby was a mainstay on the Red Wings' Grind Line, which included Kris Draper, Darren McCarty and, at the onset, Joe Kocur.

"I was a pain in the (rear)," said Maltby, 37. "But I didn't mind giving those shots. I took my share of shots, too, and I didn't mind that. It was the game within the game. Most times, the other guys didn't see it that way.

"I was a guy that worked hard. All I wanted to do was win, and I did what I had to do to help my team win."

He opted to retire rather than accept an assignment to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.

"I want to watch my kids grow up," Maltby said. "My oldest (Ella) now is in all sorts of stuff. I want to able to see her, whether it's gymnastics or dance, and also help my little ones (twins Leighton and Landon). I'm going to miss the game, miss being around the guys."

Maltby paused several times to collect his thoughts and fight back tears. He thanked numerous people who have been in the organization since he arrived in 1996, as well as his family. His wife, Wendy, and three kids were seated in the front row.

He thanked teammates for "being there in the trenches, tussling and what not that seemed to follow me around most games." He singled out the four players still on the team who were here when he started: Draper, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood and Tomas Holmstrom.

"What a great career," Draper said. "He can look himself in the mirror and say he did a lot of great things, did a lot more than people probably would have ever thought.

"If you want to hit, he can hit. If you want to skate, he can skate. That's a tough guy to play against. Especially in playoff time, he was so good. He'd go against other teams' top lines, he'd kill penalties, he'd score big goals."

Lidstrom said Maltby was a huge part of the team's success.

"He finished checks, he'd get in there, chirp a little bit, just being an agitator that's tough to play against," Lidstrom said.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland called Maltby a great penalty killer and defensive player who relished his role as a grinder and disturber.

"If you're going to win come playoff time, you need skill, character, people who want to go to the trenches and do the dirty work," Holland said. "Certainly, that line and Kirk did that for us.

"The beauty of Kirk and the Grind Line is they had the skill to hang onto the puck. They made other teams' stars spend a lot of time trying to get the puck back."

Maltby started his career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993 and was reminded of a hit he delivered on all-star defenseman Paul Coffey, a Red Wing at the time.

"I knew who Detroit had in the lineup with Mac, and I'm pretty sure Probie (Bob Probert) was here, too," Maltby said. "I was looking real quick to see who was coming the next shift. I don't know if that had any bearing (on the Red Wings acquiring him), but if it did then sorry for Paul."

Scotty Bowman was the team's director of player personnel when he traded defense prospect Dan McGillis to the Oilers for Maltby in March 1996.

One of Maltby's greatest highlights came during a penalty-killing sequence in a playoff game against the St. Louis Blues. He blocked several shots, including a couple from Al MacInnis, who had the hardest shot in the league. Maltby lost his stick at one point but managed to clear the puck. The Joe Louis crowd began chanting, "Maltby! Maltby!"

"His second shot shattered my toe cap (on his skate) and I remember coming to the dressing room because I had to switch skates, my two toes beside the big toe were black and blue," Maltby said. "I don't know how they weren't broken.

"I was just doing my job, doing what I had to do to help my team win."

Draper remembered it well.

"I was on the ice with him and was chanting his name, too," Draper said. "He'd do anything to help this team win."

Maltby thinks this team has a great opportunity to win its fifth Cup since 1997.

And he plans to be a part of the organization and the community for many more years.

"I have roots here. This is my home, this is where my kids are going to have their home," Maltby said. "We're going to grow up and watch lots of hockey games.

"I'm very comfortable with my decision. I look forward to my future, starting as a scout with the Wings, spending time with my family and watching my kids grow."